Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Author Steven Levitt, working with journalist Stephen Dubner, shows how economic theories can be used to analyze social issues. Each of the six essays explores a different theory or social issue, from cheating by sumo wrestlers to the economic organization of drug gangs. Along the way it addresses a series of questions such as “Why do some teachers cheat on test results?” and “Do parents really make a difference to a child’s success in life?” Using a series of stories and case studies the author shows that, at its root, economics is the study of how people behave and how they get what they want.